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"This is the Seaview, the most extraordinary submarine in all the Seven Seas. Its public image is that of an instrument of marine research. In actuality, it is the mightiest weapon afloat, and is secretly assigned to the most dangerous missions against the enemies of mankind.

In command of the Seaview, Captain John Phillips. And in overall charge of scientific projects, the creator and builder of the fabulous ship, Admiral Harriman Nelson.

This is the Seaview's top-secret submarine base. It is carved out of solid rock, and is located on the Southern California coast, five hundred feet beneath the famed Nelson Institute of Marine Research. Few men know of its existence, and fewer men even suspect its purpose."--Dick Tufeld (opening narration from the VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA pilot episode entitled "Eleven Days to Zero.").

"Seaview's job is never finished. As long as there are evil forces in the world, as long there are secrets of nature to be probed, believe me, there will be work for us...on missions just as vital and dangerous as this one."--Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart).

"(Admiral) Nelson brilliant scientist and visionary is portrayed by Richard Basehart an actor as gifted and complex as his fictional creation. Basehart's skill creates the Nelson who could conceive the vessel (The Seaview), raise the funding to build it and prevent it from becoming military property. (20th Century) Fox special effects veteran L.B. Abbott won two Emmy Awards for his work on this series. The pilot's music and series' evocative title theme (heard during the episode's end credits) were composed by Paul Sawtell. David Hedison...effectively establishes Captain Lee Crane as a sensitive driven career officer. Basehart and Hedison would work effectively together throughout the series."--Allan Asherman (liner notes from the Columbia House VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA Collector's Edition series tape one).

How much longer are we going to have to wait for a (long overdue) DVD release of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (ABC 1964-68)?

Now that plans have apparently be fructified on the next two volumes of the LOST IN SPACE (CBS 1965-68) second season DVD sets both scheduled for a September 14th and a November 30th release dates respectively when is 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment going to give us some definite news about the other Irwin Allen tv franchises?

Already in the U.K. a DVD release of LOST IN SPACE's third season (1967-68) has been announced for January 2005 and customers are being asked about what other Irwin Allen 1960s SF they'd also like to see made available next.

Why is the U.K. seemingly getting all this preferential treatment on the part of 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment? Do you mean to tell me the the U.K. market is greater than the combined markets of the U.S. and Canada?

I don't think so! Fox actually considers this a good business strategy to focus on a smaller market base?

I think it's high time that Peter Staddon gave us some straight answers (here and now) to some direct questions about the future status of the other Irwin Allen tv franchises...and fast!

And I don't want to hear what Mr. Staddon has said about this sensitive topic in the past but what he has to say right now!

For Pete's sake 2004 marks the 40th Anniversary of the ABC-TV network debut of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA on September 14th, 1964 and can anyone think of a more fitting tribute to this landmark and (enormously) popular SF fan favourite than a DVD release at long last?

VOYAGE RULES!

Jeff T.

Help support a blu-ray release of THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) tv series starring Roy Thinnes.

I, and many others, would love to see Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on DVD in seasonal box sets but I'm not sure that demanding an answer from Mr. Staddon at Fox is going to produce the desired effect. I know you don't want to hear about what Mr. Staddon has said about this in the past but it is all we have to go on right now. In January of this year he was asked about the possibility of Voyage/Sea and The Time Tunnel on DVD. He said "a lot will depend on how Lost in Space works out. If we cannot bring them out there might be the possibility of licencing them to a 3rd party who will bring them out. It would be great to see them on DVD." I have to assume Lost in Space sold reasonably well since Season 2 and 3 are going to be released (although in split season sets). I'd like to believe that Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is on their radar for 2005 but it would be just a guess. Since HFT has conducted chats with Fox in Dec./Jan. of other years, we may get more details at the end of this year/beginning of next.
P.S. I'd love for Fox to also re-visit other Irwin Allen productions on film like The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure. Both are poor excuses (bare-bones, non-anamorphic) for DVD's. Apparently, they're caught up in some rights issues?)

"Something beyond comprehension is happening to a little girl on this street, in this house. A man has been called for as a last resort to try and save her. That man is The Exorcist."

I think it's high time that Peter Staddon gave us some straight answers (here and now) to some direct questions about the future status of the other Irwin Allen tv franchises...and fast!

And I don't want to hear what Mr. Staddon has said about this sensitive topic in the past but what he has to say right now!

[quote]

Hahahaha...yeah....'cause he's almost going to post when you talk like that. How about showing Peter the respect he deserves and ask politely if there's anything he can tell you about the title. It's too late now, but think of that for next time.

As far as it goes, though, the team who was behind the failed effort to bring back "Lost In Space" (the one that was going to have the pilot directed by John Woo, and then the network guys took a pass on the show in the end), are taking another shot at a remake of an Irwin Allen classic.

"I agree, It sucks that Fox is dividing the second season into two parts. I'm also a little bummed out that England got the entire second season - and on July 5th no less. Don't buy the English version, it will not play on U.S. DVD players. Anyway, with all that said, I'm still very glad that it's being released and I will be buying it anyway (both part 1 and 2)."--A Customer from Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States.
"Okay...It is extremely disappointing that the choice was made to release only half the series to North Americans and the whole season to the U.K. While I agree that this is unfair and likely a money making scheme, what choice do we have? We should be happy they are releasing it at all. If we don't buy this and sales are down, chances are the 2nd half won't be released! We can only hope that we will get some additional features that do not come with the other version.
I want to add that people should not go out and buy the U.K. version as it has region 2 encoding and will not work on North American DVD players!! Some computers will play both formats, but be extremely careful. You also have to pay duty on anything you buy from the U.K. as I found out the other day when I ordered something from that site."--Kittykins.
Well we VOYAGE fans are the rowdiest of the Irwin Allen fan bases!
But seriously though there's been no impropriety on my part and Mr. Staddon has been afforded all the courtesy due him.
If Peter Staddon fails to respond then it probably has more to do with the questions themselves being addressed...questions that must be addressed and advanced in the light of recent developments and the disturbing possibility that subsequent DVD collections of the other Irwin Allen tv properties conceivably being released overseas first...despite all the (cautious) postering and politeness on the part of others who may also share the selfsame concern here.
Granted a single individual can't be held responsible for the policies and executive decisions of an entire company but outside of the U.K just who's really all that ecstatic about the second season (1966-67) of LOST IN SPACE having been released overseas before the U.S. and Canada. Not that I'm against these particular tv series being made available everywhere.
No I feel that I'm doing a greater service by letting Mr. Staddon know that people are decidedly unhappy about VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (ABC 1964-68) not be released on DVD, people are decidedly unhappy about THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) not being released on DVD and people are decidedly unhappy about LAND OF THE GIANTS (ABC 1968-70) not being released on DVD.
Just releasing LOST IN SPACE (CBS 1965-68) first isn't going to placate anyone...particularly when these other high demand titles are (possibly) made available only in the U.K. Is this a reality that you're willing accept? Well I'm not and I'm not going to hide my (profound) feelings about it!
There's always a myriad of reasons why something can't be done but the truth is that there is no reason that these Irwin Allen 1960s SF tv series can't collectively be successfully marketed in North America just as well (if not better) than anywhere else in the world.
Jeff T.

Help support a blu-ray release of THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) tv series starring Roy Thinnes.

Put me down for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The 1st and one of the very few American Sci-Fi TV shows to run 4 or more seasons on a Primetime major (CBS, NBC, ABC) Network.
I'll take SeaQuest too although Voyage is the better show.

...When you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth

All i can say is that if Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, is finally released on DVD i will probably be the happiest man on earth, since along Lost in Space, it´s my favourite tv series of all times.
Dear people from Fox Tv, please do us all a favour and release that fantastic series.
Great thanks in advance!!

I have to confess that I've never seen a single episode of VOYAGE, but I am a diehard LOST IN SPACE fan. But the thing I wanted to comment on was the executive logic that "we'll have to wait to see how LIS sells first". I never understood that line of reasoning. Studios automatically comparing apples with oranges, and assuming that the sales of one Irwin Allen show supposedly guarantees or squashes the success of any other! It's really convoluted thinking, IMO. Just because LIS sells, that doesn't mean VOYAGE will. And if LIS was a big flop, it wouldn't mean VOYAGE couldn't be a hit. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. I'm sure there are big fans of VOYAGE that couldn't care less about LIS, and vice-versa.

One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. I'm sure there are big fans of VOYAGE that couldn't care less about LIS, and vice-versa.

[quote]

I agree 100% Joe. I've never Understood this reasoning either. It would be different if the shows were more directly related like: Angel, Buffy or any of the Star Trek Shows but these Irwin Allen shows have nothing to do with each other besides having the same producer and some of the same production people. This is more like looking at the sales of "West Wing" to decide if we want to release "E.R." It makes no sense.

...When you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth

"Deep beneath these turbulent waters exists a frontier as vast as the surface of the Moon. You will penetrate its mystery on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA each week in colour on this television station."--ABC-TV tv promo for the third season (1966-67) of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
"I'm a casual fan of LIS and have been considering picking up s1. With s2 coming out, perhaps I'll finally take the plunge. Of course, we'd all rather have the seasons come out in a single volume, but better 2 volumes than none at all. I most certainly appreciate Mr. Staddon's posts and information in this thread. It's great to hear some information instead of just rumors.
Now, if only we can get VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA on DVD!!! I'd buy 2 or 3 sets of each season myself just to ensure it's success."--Bill Moore.
One doesn't have to be familiar with VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA in order to want to buy such a DVD collection.
Just produce an effective eye-catching packaging design with Richard Basehart, David Hedison, The Seaview and The Flying Sub and people (especially SF fans) will literally grab these things off the video store shelves before any dust has a chance to settle.
Also a series of effective tv ads with featuring David Hedison (aka Captain Lee Crane coupled with exciting scenes from the tv series itself and the success of such a DVD series is assured!
As I said in my initial post 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment in the U.K. is already turning its attention toward the other Irwin Allen 1960s SF tv series and it's high time that the same were also done here in North America the single largest market for home entertainment software in the world.
Obviously it's now too late in the year to seriously consider such a DVD release but I fully expect in 2005 to see at least one of the other Irwin Allen tv franchises make it as a DVD collection. I don't think that this is an unreasonable expectation and Fox Home Entertainment in the U.S. has to start getting its act together and seriously looking toward the future of these other tv properties.
Hopefully Fox will also set about plans to digitally remaster and fully restore from the original source elements the video transfers used for any impending DVD collections of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (ABC 1964-68), THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) and LAND OF THE GIANTS (ABC 1968-70) including restoring the "in colour" pre-teaser bumpers, the next week previews and (in the case of THE TIME TUNNEL) the original cliffhanger endings intact.
In summation there isn't one of these Irwin Allen tv properties that wouldn't turn a healthy profit in its own right...and isn't that the criteria that should really matter here?
Come on 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment (in the U.S.) yield to the logic of the situation and start commencing on the inevitable! PLEASE!
Jeff T.

Help support a blu-ray release of THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) tv series starring Roy Thinnes.

Totally agree Jefft
And not only Voyage would sell in the Uk, USA or Canada, remember that most European countries are region 2, that´s indeed a huge market... now.... say Voyage is released only for region 1, well.... as you all probably know most DVD players sold in Europe can be easily modified to play region 1 DVD´s, and almost 100% do a perfect conversion from NTSC signal to PAL. Most of my DVD´s are region 1, and all play perfectly right, never had a problem (live in region 2)
Here in Spain i know quite a few people that would buy the Irwin Allen´s series. There are some messages in Spanish DVD forums which show this interest, regardless of the region in which they are released.
Region 1, region 2? both? (better),.... doesn´t really matter as long as they finally hit the streets.
Fingers crossed...

As a fan of the show, I'd love to hear something from Mr. Staddon on this topic. But like Gord I realize more flies are caught with honey than vinegar.
Frankly, I'd give my right arm for the release of this show on dvd. Well, ok, maybe that's a little extreme. Let me reword that. I'd give JeffT.'s right arm for a release. ) (Just kidding Jeff).
Gary "the first season of Voyage was absolutely top notch sci-fi adventure at it's best - a completely different animal from Lost in Space I might add" O.

"I can't believe that Fox is releasing only half of the 2nd season of LIS. It seems that they are releasing only half to test the waters in terms of sales, not to make more money because 'the sales of the 1st season were so great'.
First they screwed up by not releasing the series in a box set in its entirety...then they release season 1 to see how well it sells before releasing season 2. Only problem is that of all 3 seasons, season 1 is by far the least popular and the one that people associate least when remembering the series. Even though I like season 1 and am grateful to have it is not an accurate measure of the sales potential of the rest of the series.
I don't understand when I see some series on DVD in their entirety or on a definite path to it, and here LIS is released up to season 2 in the United Kingdom and not here.
Obviously, the person who has final say on these decisions at Fox somehow managed to 'Forrest Gump' their way to that position.
It just goes to show that just because someone may have a high paying job or be in a decision-making role that they don't always have the juice to pull it off."--A Customer from Ffld County, CT USA.
Take my word for it that you don't want to know the title of the above quote!
In response to the opinions made pertaining to the tone and the structure of my initial posts I'd like to apprise everyone here of the term "by popular demand".
It's not "by popular request" or "by popular politeness" but by "popular demand" (albeit at no time do I feel that I was disrespectful in my comments...just expressing my own viable enthusiasm and some genuine frustration to be sure). A term that Fox Home Entertainment itself used for the short-livedLOST IN SPACEVHS tape series that was commercially marketed a few years back mind you.
Exactly just what is inferred by this?
Much of what has generally been made available to the public on DVD has been (substantially) influenced by the constant persistence and insistence of the myriad of fan bases and lobbyists out there and the major home entertainment reps like Peter Staddon should be (and no doubt are) appreciative that fans have enthusiastically made their wants and viewpoints known.
Why else would he participate in such a discussion forum?
I think it has to be remembered by the major DVD distribution outlets like 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment that these films and tv series are made for public consumption and not to be stored away (forever) in some studio library vault merely to collect dust. Surely this doesn't do anyone any good...right?
While Mr. Staddon himself may not personally participate in this particular discussion thread I at least hope that he is indeed reading it and will try to influence his colleagues at Fox to start drawing some definite plans for the marketing of the other Irwin Allen 1960s SF tv series specifically in North America.
If 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment looses money on any of its DVD releases it won't be from any of the Irwin Allen tv properties I can assure you of that.
Jeff T.

Help support a blu-ray release of THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) tv series starring Roy Thinnes.

I still stand by my quote. I'd buy 2-3 copies of each season if it would ensure release of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. I loved that show as a kid and still enjoy watching it on occasion. I have the whole series taped on VHS and just started converting them to DVD-R, but if they were to release proper season sets (extras? extras?? please could there be a couple of extras????), I'd snap 'em up in a heartbeat.

This is probably THE series I would most like to have now. I have a lot of series that I also wanted (never thought I'd see Space:1999 on DVD, but it came out relatively quickly in relation to TV set releases). Voyage would be the Holy Grail for me.

Note to FOX: I WILL buy TWO or THREE sets of each season if you release Voyage! There are fans of this show and I think it would sell well enough to do just fine for FOX. Please, pretty please!!

By the way Bill if you like Space 1.999 you can´t miss UFO also by Gerry Anderson, lot´s of action, great plot, fantastic music and sound efects (hear the UFO´s aproaching Earth... spooky.....) and an amazing campy look (purple wigs,"non politically correct comments", silver miniskirts & lots of scotch and cigarettes!).

Yeah, I was a fan of UFO back in the day as well. I still haven't quite gotten around to purchasing those, but I did rent them and watched them after a couple of decades away. What a blast from the past that was!

"After five years under contract to 20th Century-Fox, I was very happy to return to work on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. We had a super cast, and I felt especially honored to be working with the great Richard Basehart. We became good friends. I loved him and miss him very much. Irwin Allen and I had our differences, but he was very good to me and I am proud to have worked with him. I will always treasure the memories of those four wonderful years from 1964 to 1968.

A lot of fans have written to me, wondering why VOYAGE episodes have not been available on video or DVD. They often watch them on the SCI-FI CHANNEL but are disappointed to find scenes have sometimes been deleted to allow for more commercial time. That's business, I guess. Be patient! I'm sure the series will be available to you at your neighborhood video store before you know it. Try writing to the Sales and Distribution Department at 20th Century-Fox.

Good Luck, and know that Captain Crane and I wish you the best of everything.--David Hedison (June 1st, 2001).

I neglected to mention that original pilot episodes of all four Irwin Allen 1960s SF tv series generally radically differ from their respective televised network counterparts.

For example the VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (ABC 1964-68) pilot of "Eleven Days to Zero" (14/09/1964) was actually produced in colour with a different opening title while the televised version was printed and aired in black-and-white and in addition to a different opening title featuring Richard Basehart and David Hedison also has an added preview trailer of upcoming episodes (not to be found in the actual colour pilot) so it would be super if 20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment would include both versions of the VOYAGE pilot in a DVD collection a la the inclusion of the unairedLOST IN SPACE (CBS 1965-68) pilot "No Place to Hide".

Similarly there are two versions of THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) pilot episode "Rendezvous with Yesterday" (09/09/1966) and just recently the unaired extended version (with a radically different ending from the ABC-TV primetime televised pilot episode) was shown on STARZ! ACTION.

SUPPORT A DVD RELEASE OF VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA!

Help support a blu-ray release of THE INVADERS (ABC 1967-68) tv series starring Roy Thinnes.